Students use their knowledge of the Fijian language in their conversation at home, church services and also when they visit Fiji.

The Fijian language class is initiated and funded by the Ministry of Pacific Islands Affairs of New Zealand plus other organizations.

Fijians have a lot to celebrate this week - with the national rugby team advancing through to the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals and a special week dedicated to preserving language and culture.

Joseph O’Connor, pastor of the Sacramento Fijian Seventh-day Adventist Church, doesn’t mind that his congregation meets in a rented space off Arden Way. On Saturdays, the church is one of many spaces ...